South Central Washington

Updated October 3, 2026

South Central Washington runs from the top of Snoqualmie Pass down through the Kittitas and Yakima valleys to the Tri-Cities, then east to Walla Walla and the Snake River at Clarkston. It is the heart of Washington wine country, with most of the nation’s hops grown here too.

Eight counties make up the region on the state road map: Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Walla Walla and Yakima. That puts Ellensburg, Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla in the same region, along with Roslyn, Cle Elum and the canyon of the Yakima River.

Use this page as the index. If you know where you are headed, start with a town guide. If you are going somewhere smaller, scroll down to the towns without a guide of their own, where every coffee shop, market, museum, golf course and local business we list is filed under its town.

What South Central Washington is known for

When to go

Getting around

• By car: I-90 crosses Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum and Ellensburg. I-82 runs from Ellensburg through Yakima to the Tri-Cities, and US 12 continues to Walla Walla and Clarkston.
• By air: Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla all have regional airports with flights to Seattle.
• By train: Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops in Pasco.
• Before you go: winter on Snoqualmie Pass and summer fire season change plans here. Check our conditions page first.

South Central Washington town guides

Locals on the podcast

Conversations from the Exploring Washington State Podcast with people who live here.

• Jennifer Hackett’s Ellensburg: the college and rodeo town from a local.
• Mark Pickerel’s Ellensburg: a musician’s stories from the Kittitas Valley.
• The Tri-Cities with Kevin Lewis: how the Tri-Cities see themselves.
• The Kittitas County Fair with Kristina Paquette: what happens on Labor Day weekend.
• Tieton Cider Works: apples, cider and the Yakima Valley.

Small towns in South Central Washington

These towns do not have a full guide yet. Everything we list in each one is right here, grouped by county.

Asotin County

Benton County

Columbia County

Franklin County

Garfield County

Kittitas County

Walla Walla County

Yakima County

South Central Washington state parks and rest areas

Parking at a Washington State Park needs a Discover Pass: $45 a year or $10 a day. How the Discover Pass works and where to buy it.

State parks (12)

• Fields Spring State Park
• Fort Simcoe Historical State Park
• Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
• Lake Easton State Park
• Lewis and Clark Trail State Park
• Lyons Ferry State Park
• Olmstead Place Historical State Park
• Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail Central
• Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail East
• Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail West
• Sacajawea Historical State Park
• Yakima Sportsman State Park

Rest areas (12)

• Alpowa Summit Rest Area US 12 Eastbound
• Alpowa Summit Rest Area US 12 Westbound
• Dodge Junction Rest Area US 12 Multidirectional
• Indian John Hill Rest Area I-90 Eastbound
• Indian John Hill Rest Area I-90 Westbound
• Prosser Rest Area I-82
• Ryegrass Rest Area I-90 Eastbound
• Ryegrass Rest Area I-90 Westbound
• Selah Creek Rest Area I-82 Eastbound
• Selah Creek Rest Area I-82 Westbound
• Travelers Rest Area Snoqualmie Pass SR 906
• Vernita Rest Area SR 24 Multidirectional

Everything we list in South Central Washington

• 123 local businesses
• 39 museums
• 27 golf courses
• 12 farmers markets
• 12 state parks
• 12 rest areas

Read next

Questions people ask

Counties

Asotin County · Benton County · Columbia County · Franklin County · Garfield County · Kittitas County · Walla Walla County · Yakima County

Explore Washington's other regions

• Northwest Washington
• Olympic Peninsula and South Sound
• Southwest Washington
• North Central Washington
• Eastern Washington

Region boundaries come from the Washington State Department of Transportation, and every listing gets its region from its county. See how the six regions work.